THE English is perfect but the accent is strong, marking the speaker as someone foreign, even darkly intriguing.

It is a surprise then when the deep tones utter: "There must be something Scottish in me."

Goran Ivanisevic is proudly and unmistakably Croatian and his Caledonian connections have more to do with his tennis experience rather than his genetic make-up. His Scottish confession comes after a period reflecting on the trials of Andy Murray and how the player from Dunblane had made even his victories difficult for his supporters to witness.

"Yes, I watched him in the US Open final and was moved by the way he came back after losing a two-set lead. He makes things difficult for himself too and I always did that," says Ivanisevic, now 41 and preparing for his first visit to Scotland in June.

The Croat's participation in the Brodies Champions of Tennis will stir memories of a fabulous sporting story. Tim Henman will be among Ivanisevic's rivals and the rain, the mayhem and wonder of Wimbledon 2001 will be invoked as Ivanisevic strides out on to the courts of Raeburn Place.

"It will never happen again," he says simply and irrefutably of July 9, 2001. First, his five-set final victory was played on a Monday because of persistent rain and the roof over the modern Centre Court makes the eventuality of a delayed final highly unlikely. Second, Ivanisevic won the title as a wildcard entrant.

" I do not believe a wild card can win Wimbledon now," he says. "The depth of the game means that this player would have to beat the rankings on seven consecutive occasions over two weeks. Never say never but . . . "

He also accepts there were special circumstances surrounding his triumph. Ivanisevic was ranked world No.125 because of a spell out through injury but was a former world No.2. The wildcard was also awarded because of the Croat's Wimbledon record as a three-time runner-up in the men's championship.

Ivanisevic duly franked his passport to SW19 by defeating, among others, Carlos Moya, Andy Roddick, Greg Rusedski, Marat Safin and Henman in a titanic semi-final before Pat Rafter was vanquished in the final. It was his first title in three years. It was his last great victory as injury derailed his career.

Yet 2001 is never far from his thoughts. "I felt it shaped my career and my life," he says of his one grand slam triumph. "It changed my life in so many ways. It was magical as no one remembers beaten finalists. That is sad but true and I had three defeats to look back on."

He appreciates Murray will be under pressure at Wimbledon but adds: "I am sure he feels something like me. I put pressure on myself because I knew I had the game to win Wimbledon. I was expected to win against Rafter, given my form, and I knew the fans were wanting me to win. But the biggest pressure is always from inside."

He feels the Olympic gold won at Wimbledon and the subsequent triumph by Murray at the US Open will relax the Scot. "He, like me, will be expected to win by the British fans but I am sure he now feels more confident and more loose. Murray knows he has won a major. It makes a difference."

He is an admirer of the Scot. "He is ready to win Wimbledon," he says. "He has the game to win on grass. He was ready last year, too, and played a great final against [Roger] Federer. His first set was good and he just played a sloppy game in the second. Then Federer improved and Andy will know he has to perform in the crucial points at this stage in big matches. Federer knows how to play them."

Ivanisevic is an admirer of the modern game but does not fall in readily with the much-uttered proclamation that this is the best era for tennis. "It is very tough to compare down the years but I do not think this era is the best. In my career, I saw the [John] McEnroe, [Bjorn] Borg and [Ivan] Lendl rivalry and there was then [Andre] Agassi and [Pete] Sampras. I will say the sport has changed a lot. I see 30-plus shots in rallies now at Wimbledon. It took me 10 years to compile 30 shots at Wimbledon," he adds, with a smile in his voice.

He lost his Wimbledon finals to Agassi in 1992 and to Sampras in 1994 and 1998 and rates the American as the best he played. "With everyone else I thought: 'I can play better, I can serve better'. But there was something tough about Sampras," he says. "I don't know why but I always felt different playing him to anyone else."

Now 41, Ivanisevic rates Federer "as the greatest talent I have seen" but says Novak Djokovic is now the peerless performer. "He has everything; he has confidence, fitness and touch. He is also very, very quick and his serve is great," he says.

Of the upcoming French Open, he adds: "Paris will be down to the weather. You look at the final last year," he says of the meeting of Rafael Nadal and Djokovic. "If the ball is dry then Rafa wins but if it is wet and slow then he could lose. Nadal may be the favourite but Djokovic can win it."

And what of Wimbledon? Can Lendl, one of Ivanisevic's old foes, be the coach who takes Murray to an historic triumph?

"He is a personality who is full of confidence and it is no surprise Murray has become much more aggressive," he says. "Lendl has told him you must go for your shots, particularly on the forehand. You cannot wait for mistakes from the top guys; you must make them make mistakes. Murray is a much, much tougher player now."

Murray, Lendl and Ivanisevic have all shared the anguish of losing consecutive major finals before finally winning a grand slam. "This is the important aspect of Lendl. He won a lot of majors but he lost, too. It is not just about explaining to players about shots. It is about explaining how you might feel in a final. There is just a little something there that may help."

He is honest about the pressures and recalls 2001. "It was tough, to be honest. You try to relax and enjoy it. But you must trust in your tennis. I felt confident, I felt strong. I was expected to win. But it took five sets. I always made it hard for myself."

Again, he reflects: "Maybe I am a little bit Scottish."

n Goran Ivanisevic will play at Brodies Champions of Tennis on the ATP Champions Tour at Raeburn Place, Edinburgh, from June 20-23. Other competitors include Tim Henman, Carlos Moya and John McEnroe.

Tickets are on sale at www.championsoftennis.com